Marathon Digital Boosts Bitcoin Holdings Amid Market Volatility

Marathon Digital Holdings (NASDAQ: MARA) seized the opportunity during last Friday’s crypto market sell-off to expand its Bitcoin holdings, according to blockchain analytics platform Arkham Intelligence. The U.S.-based crypto mining company, which already holds approximately 52,850 BTC valued around $6.06 billion, purchased an additional 400 BTC worth roughly $45.9 million through trading platform FalconX earlier this week, as confirmed by data tracked by blockchain analyst Lookonchain.

This move reflects growing confidence among institutional and mining firms to accumulate Bitcoin during volatile periods — a pattern seen during previous market corrections. In September, Marathon produced 218 blocks, marking a 5% month-over-month increase even as the global hashrate climbed 9% to an average of 1,031 EH/s. The company’s continued expansion reinforces its position as one of the largest publicly traded Bitcoin holders globally.

Friday’s market chaos saw Bitcoin plummet nearly 13% within an hour amid escalating U.S.–China tariff tensions, wiping out an estimated $65 billion in open interest. However, some analysts point to technical issues at Binance as the primary trigger, citing internal errors that caused several assets to temporarily de-peg. Despite the crash, Bitcoin quickly recovered, trading near $114,800 — up about 3% in the past 24 hours — as geopolitical fears eased.

Analysts warn that Bitcoin’s inability to sustain momentum above its long-term resistance trendline, drawn from the 2017 and 2021 peaks, could pave the way for a potential retest of the $100,000 level. Still, Marathon’s strategic accumulation suggests that major players view the dip as a long-term buying opportunity amid short-term uncertainty.